Synonyms of foul in English:

foul

See US English definition of foul

See UK English definition of foul

See Spanish definition of nauseabundo

adjective

1‘the skunk produces a foul stench’

SYNONYMS

disgusting, revolting, repellent, repulsive, repugnant, abhorrent, loathsome, offensive, detestable, awful, dreadful, horrible, terrible, horrendous, hideous, appalling, atrocious, vile, abominable, frightful, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, stomach-churning, stomach-turning, off-putting, uninviting, unpalatable, unappetizing, unsavoury, distasteful, nasty, obnoxious, objectionable, odious

noxious, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, smelly, stinking, high, rank, rancid, fetid, malodorous

North American vomitous

informal ghastly, horrid, gruesome, godawful, gross, diabolical, putrid, yucky, icky, grotty, sick-making, gut-churning

British informal beastly, whiffy, pongy, niffy

North American informal lousy, skanky, funky

Australian informal on the nose

literary noisome, mephitic

archaic disgustful, loathly

rare miasmic, miasmal, olid

ANTONYMS

fragrant

2‘get your foul clothes out of my bedroom’

SYNONYMS

dirty, filthy, mucky, grimy, grubby, stained, dirt-encrusted, muddy, muddied, unclean, unwashed

squalid, sordid, shabby, sleazy, nasty, soiled, sullied, scummy

rotten, defiled, decaying, putrid, putrefied, smelly, fetid

informal cruddy, yucky, icky

British informal manky, gungy, grotty

literary befouled, besmirched, begrimed

rare feculent

3‘she's been foul to poor Adam’

SYNONYMS

unkind, unfriendly, disagreeable, inconsiderate, uncharitable, rude, churlish, spiteful, malicious, mean, mean-spirited, ill-tempered, ill-natured, ill-humoured, bad-tempered, hostile, vicious, malevolent, evil-minded, surly, obnoxious, poisonous, venomous, vindictive, malign, malignant, cantankerous, hateful, hurtful, cruel, wounding, abusive

informal bitchy, catty

vulgar slang shitty

ANTONYMS

kind

4‘foul weather’

SYNONYMS

inclement, unpleasant, disagreeable, dirty, nasty, rough, bad

stormy, squally, gusty, windy, blustery, blowy, wild, rainy, wet

foggy, misty, gloomy, murky, overcast, louring

ANTONYMS

fair

5‘foul drinking water was blamed for the outbreak’

SYNONYMS

contaminated, polluted, adulterated, infected, tainted, defiled, impure, filthy, dirty, unclean

rare feculent

ANTONYMS

clean

6‘the foul fiend’

SYNONYMS

evil, wicked, sinful, immoral, wrong, morally wrong, wrongful, bad, iniquitous, corrupt, black-hearted, ungodly, unholy, irreligious, unrighteous, sacrilegious, profane, blasphemous, impious, base, mean, vile

villainous, nefarious, erring, fallen, impure, sullied, tainted, monstrous, shocking, outrageous, atrocious, abominable, reprehensible, hateful, detestable, despicable, odious, contemptible, horrible, heinous, execrable, godless, diabolical, diabolic, fiendish, vicious, murderous, barbarous, black, dark

perverted, reprobate, sordid, depraved, degenerate, dissolute, dishonourable, dishonest, unscrupulous, unprincipled, underhand, roguish

criminal, illicit, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate, lawless

informal crooked, bent, warped, low-down, stinking, dirty, shady, rascally, scoundrelly

British informal beastly, not cricket

Law malfeasant

archaic dastardly

rare peccable, egregious, flagitious

ANTONYMS

righteous

7‘she had been subjected to abuse and foul language’

SYNONYMS

vulgar, obscene, profane, blasphemous, gross, coarse, crude, filthy, dirty, indecent, indelicate, suggestive, smutty, off colour, low, lewd, ribald, salacious, scatological, offensive, abusive

informal blue

ANTONYMS

mild

8‘he was booked for a foul tackle in the 67th minute’

SYNONYMS

unfair, against the rules, illegal, unsporting, unsportsmanlike, below the belt, dirty, dishonourable, dishonest, underhand, unscrupulous, unjust, unprincipled, immoral, crooked, fraudulent

informal shady

ANTONYMS

fair

verb

1‘every stream was being fouled with chemical waste’

SYNONYMS

dirty, soil, stain, blacken, muddy, begrime, splash, spatter, smear, befoul, besmirch, blight, defile, make filthy, infect, pollute, contaminate, poison, taint, adulterate, sully

literary besmear

2‘the vessel had fouled her nets’

SYNONYMS

tangle up, entangle, snarl, catch, entwine, enmesh, twist, tangle

3‘the rivers have been fouled by silt’

SYNONYMS

clog, choke, block, jam, obstruct, congest, bung up, dam, dam up, plug, silt up, stop up, seal, fill up, close

informal gunge up

technical occlude, obturate